Serpentus
by Ahrimansparkle
Summary: A Chaplain must die! This story follows a Revered Assassin from the temple vindicare on a secret mission from the Inquisition.


*Whirring, A holo display activates from across the unlit room. Thanatas rises from her resting place glances over at the projection. (The projection was that of a space marine, Armor black with one blue shoulder-pad and who's Helmet pronounced a skull wreathed in golden lorels. Coordinates followed.) "Dolos",Chaplain of the ultra marines. He is serving the chapter on the world Apate Secondus. Following the confession of a recent asset his death has been tasked to the officio assassinorum. Dolos must die before he can seed any more corruption in the chapter or flee should he become aware of this declaration. Your transport arrives in three hours, Serve the emperor and our lords on Macragge." Thanatas moved from her mat and over towards a small mirror.  
Gripping a razor she began removing the hair from her scalp and placing it into a simple bowl. upon completion she retrieved a vial of oil and emptied it into the bowl A brief prayer, and she lit a small torch no larger than her fingers. The torch upon reaching the oil lit a blue flame that burned slowly letting out a soft scent.  
Thanatas unlocked a keypad the only door in the room, which flickered a light revealing a rifle mounted upon an Aquila. Next to the display a full skin suit of pure black leather. After fighting into the suit she harnessed the rifle upon her shoulders and departed via a small hatch in the ceiling of the vault. Sealing the hatch behind her she entered the local hive with a small leap from the story tall housing she had left. Pushing through crowds of people and dodging a riot emanating from a local Arbite station. Thanatas reached a small shuttle bay yet it was empty. After forty minutes of waiting a loud shock of running engines and fire spouting something that resembled a transport landed in the center of the bay. The ramp descended and a grey cloaked man sprinted from the shuttle towards the far end of the bay. Thanatas confidently approached the junker ship, entering it without question. She took the control position and began the lift sequence.  
leaving the bay and heavy traffic from the hive Thanatas entered low atmosphere. After climbing into orbit She glanced over to see an imperial strike cruiser's Aquila Ram at its fore. With a quick calculation she entered a coarse to land upon the rear of the titanic ship. The cruiser seemingly took no notice as she locked magnetic landing hooks onto its hull. Soon after a great shutter of the cruiser's engines and a tear in reality before the mass of metal Thanatas was latched upon.

Four Months in the shuttle, surviving on nothing but simple rations left inside the shuttle Thanatas had broken concentration upon her prayers when the cruiser entered real-space in orbit of a tan unsightly rock world neighboring a green giant. Upon resurrecting the shuttle and dis-engaging the locks on the cruiser,  
Thanatas felt shock and surprise for perhaps the first time in her life the great rock once in her path had moved now halfway into a warp-rift. Moments later the Mass was gone. Unconcerned with this mystery Thanatas maneuvered down into the planets upper atmosphere. Heading adjacent to her target coordinates she engaged the ships self control ordering it to fly straight continuously. The shuttle cruised for some time undetermined by Thanatas. *A light Beep. Thanatas opened the cargo hatch and descended to the edge of the ramp. opening her arms to reveal a pair of pseudo wings integrated into the suit she lept away.  
Tearing through the winds and clouds of this sprawling green jungle world she tilted to keep altitude while directing herself towards pair of green snow-capped mountains.  
Traversing the sky for the greater half of an hour she came close to the nearest of the paired peaks. Fully extending her arms she slowed greatly.  
Gracefully she descended upon a great rock ridge hanging from the far face of the mountain just beneath the snowed trees where rock and moss were triumphant.

Collected foliage and a collapsed tree became home to Thanatas, overlooking a Great Monastery Trapped in blue as golden statues stood guard.  
Rifle placed on it bi-pod browsed the greater face the chapel had to show including a balcony over an assembly area and a landing pad where thunder hawks frequented.  
After Seven days Thanatas first sighted her target exiting a thunder hawk along side an unfamiliar marine clad in red armor not native to the chapter who held the monastery.  
The stranger left aboard the mighty gunship, but the target Dolos walked among a retinue towards the keep. Without a clear shot due to a blocking mass of armored angels Thanatas traced the target to the wall where he would find refuge.

A full month had past, clearing the local bird population as well as spying the landing of a great many marines to the Fortress Monastery on Apate Secondus Thanatas waited. Drumming had clad the mountains constant and mighty. Great trumpets tore the sky as a thunder-hawk entered the sky above the monastery.  
Rifle fixed on the landing zone Thanatas watched not only the red stranger exit the Gunship but a contingent of pure black aged suits of power armor.  
A banner among them bore the sight of a winged blade and first company. At last a cloaked angel departed who's helm was sheathed in shadow.  
The pair and retinue entered the great walls. Trumpets once more sounded and hundreds of bodies and vehicles lined formations outside the fortress.  
After a lengthy parade of formations the sea of blue angels aligned facing the balcony.  
A Centurion in heraldic armor took first on the stage bearing a great banner of Macragge. Next to enter several high ranking ultra-marines and pairs of honor guard.  
Lastly the Target Dolos and the red stranger. Trigger ready target fixed, But A crash of mighty lightning at the last moment! A freak Storm took the temple into poring rain and wailing wind. The chaplain Dolos unaffected by the storm raised his arms skyward and the red armored figure as well as the host of black angels entered the stage. It seems Dolos was addressing the figures to the chapter host. Not wasting any time Thanatas fixed her rifle on the chaplain once more.  
Another crash of lightning and it was done the Skulled face of Dolos splattered across the banner he stood beside. Salvos of wild bolter fire departed the fortress.  
Thanatas took the opportunity to affix a lock on the figure in blackened robes. The shot rang out lick that of the thunder that followed, but the angel was not struck.  
Instead the red suited stranger toppled in half falling both to the ground and over the balcony edge. The black suits now gone Thanatas retreated from her perch.

Days later in a cave miles away from the fortress Thanatas recorded the sighting into the face of the rock wall of her new shelter.  
In a trance like prayer Thanatas reflected on the previous events. Hours of thought were interrupted by an unfamiliar language, a child.  
The boy glanced the balded woman over and then surveyed the cave wall now decorated in script.  
Thanatas took out a small device handed it to the boy, it lit only the sign of a Great silver I. Then abruptly struck the child knocking him unconscious.  
Thanatas took the boy to the edge of the cavern then returned to her resting place. A prayer she cried while applying oil onto the rifle.

The boy awoke to a great crash from the cavern, afraid of danger he ran. Through the forest towards his home the boy lept and sprinted. The clearing of his village a feeling of safety in his heart. A feeling he would immediately forget.  
A silver trio of tanks surrounded by Knights in Strange armor and a Golden giant among them yelling towards the town people.  
The boy tried to hide in his home confident its wooden door would protect him from the strangers as it had many animals before.  
A splash of wood and simple metal entered the main room of the home. The boy terrified of the silver giant now more his home than the remnants of wood fled to the great bed his family shared, rushing underneath his last refuge. His whimpers quieted by the bellowing voice "Target Acquired"


End file.
